Inky fingers
by That-Bookish-Ravenclaw
Summary: Set during the 6th book: Draco is seriously struggling with the task he's been set. Harry wants to find out what's wrong, but Draco is keeping his distance. Things are difficult for both of them and Harry wants to help Draco. Hogwarts might be big but the two boys will have to face each other at some point - though preferably not in the restricted section of the library.


**Inky Fingers-**

Draco Malfoy sat hunched over a small table in the restricted section of the Library. He had several books open in front of him, a scroll of parchment partly unwound, his quill slowly dripping spots of green ink onto the clean, slightly yellowed surface. Draco's face was taught, stressed and slightly gaunt. The change the handsome young man had undergone within the last year was shocking.

Although he'd never tell anyone, not even Pansy, his best friend, he had taken his father's arrest far worse than anyone suspected. The task of helping his new master wasn't an inviting one either; yet still he felt better about it than the loss of one of his parents - even if his father had always been the less supportive and harsher of his parents.

His grey eyes scanned the pages, searching desperately for anything that might lead him to discover a more powerful version of a fixing charm than the one they'd been taught in 2nd year charms lessons. The words were starting to fuzz together. The Slytherin boy dipped his, now empty, quill back into his ink pot, in the process dipping the tips of his fingers into the ink. Draco sighed but didn't bother to spell away the ink, it was an old and annoying habit that he had. Ever since he'd started writing he'd been missing the pot and covering himself in ink.

* * *

Outside the Library Harry Potter dithered around, his bag feeling heavy on his shoulders, weighed down with his textbooks. He sighed as he placed his hand on the door to the library; he had a difficult potions essay to write and Hermione wasn't allowing him to copy him this time, she wouldn't even give him some help. She said that considering he had "that dratted book" to help him he didn't need her. Sadly this time the Half-Blood Prince wasn't offering the help he needed. That was going to come from the Restricted Section, the musty, dark and often locked section at the back of the library.

His permission slip was slightly damp from the sweat on his palm. He hadn't dared let it go after his head of house had signed it; he knew the librarian wouldn't allow him into the Restricted Section without it.

There weren't many people in the library at this time of evening, most were with their friends, enjoying a late dinner or finishing homework in their common rooms. Harry trudged to the back of the library, not even having to present his letter to Madam Pince as she seemed nowhere to be found. He shoved open the door to the Restricted Section and froze.

Draco Malfoy sat there, engrossed in his work. He hadn't even noticed the door had opened, he seemed buried in his work as he scratched away at his parchment in neat, cursive writing.

"Are you going in or leaving, boy?" Madam Pince appeared at Harry's shoulder, making him jump and Draco turn around.

Draco's cheeks coloured slightly but looked down at his work again. Harry mumbled something, and shoved his note into the woman's hands. She looked at it closely and nodded, "only two people at a time, no one else" she snapped, giving him a swift push and slamming the door behind him.

Harry dithered at the edge of the room. The restricted section was small and cosy; there was a reason that the students in the upper-classes joked that it was the "Ravenclaw fucking section". He groaned internally and dumped his bag on the only free table, it was less than two feet away from Malfoy.

The Gryffindor boy moved to the shelf he needed and started to flick through the titles, trying desperately to put his previous encounter with Malfoy from his mind but try as he might he couldn't stop his cheeks pinkening and his blood rushing south. He took a few steadying breaths and grabbed the book he need - "Most Potente Potions", he recognised the title from his 2nd year, when he and Hermione had brewed Polyjuice Potion in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

He dropped the book on the table and sat at the chair. Draco sighed and looked up at him. "I hope you're not going to continue to make that much racket, Potter."

Harry didn't say anything, trying to ignore the proximity of the other boy.

They spent around 20 minutes in silence, both of them focusing on their work, quills scratching away, Malfoy missing the ink pot every time he dipped his quill into the emerald ink.

Finally Harry sighed and snapped his book shut, gaining Draco's attention. "Malfoy... we need to... talk."

"About what, Potter?" Draco continued scribbling away at his parchment.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Nope, not a clue."

Harry gritted his teeth. "About that night... the night we spent together."

Draco's ears flushed a little. "Oh, the night when you molested me."

"I did NOT molest you!" Harry snarled at the blonde, who was starting to smirk a little.

"I believe you started it, Potter, it was totally unwarranted."

Harry felt his face get hot and he instinctively pulled his wand.

"You got your 'wand' out last time, too, Potter."

"If I remember correctly you were the one who kissed me under the mistletoe in our 4th year."

The boys glared at each other for a few moments before Draco cracked another trademark smirk.

It was Harry who made the first move, lifting a slightly shaking arm o bridge the distance between them to touch Draco's face, gently and carefully, tracing the line of one of his hollow cheeks. Malfoy raised his hand to wrap his fingers around Harry's wrist. He didn't pull Potter's hand away, simply held onto it.

"What's wrong, Draco? What aren't you telling anyone?" Harry questioned, moving closer, leaning onto Draco's desk, locking eyes with the blonde.

"I can't tell you, Harry." He moaned.

Harry noted that he smelled of mint, ink and old books. He closed the gap in one swift movement and pressed his lips against the other boy's.

Draco ran his fingers across Harry's face, leaving delicate green smudges as he pressed himself against the other boy, knotting his fingers into his hair. His breathing was heavy as he parted his lips. Malfoy pulled back slightly and buried his face in the crook of Harry's neck, letting the Gryffindor hold him for a few moments; tears pricked in Draco's eyes as Harry simply stood there, arms wrapped around the blonde. No words, not obvious sign of comfort, but the simple embrace meant the world to both of them.

Harry slid a finger under Draco's chin and tilted it upwards, gently wiping away several fallen tears before kissing the other boy again. Whatever was happening didn't matter in that moment; it was just them, no one else and the things Draco was plotting seemed insignificant in that moment. Neither boy wanted it to end.

The lock clicked and the boys sprang apart, the door banged open and Madam Pince appeared in the doorway. She seemed angry... angrier than normal.

"Get out, boys! Now, it's late. If you haven't finished, tough!" She snapped. Harry saw the source of her agitation; an ancient looking book was under her arm, the cover ripped off with doodles on the front page. Both boys packed their bags and scurried from the library. When Madam Pince was on the warpath you didn't want to do anything that might make her even vaguely annoyed. And overstaying your welcome in the library was more certainly going to annoy her.

Neither of the boys spoke to each other until they were out of the library and down the corridor.

"See you around, Potter." Draco said, pulling his robes around him and walking away from the stunned Harry, towards the dungeons.

Harry shook himself and pulled his school bag onto his shoulder before starting off towards his common room that wasn't too far away.

The fat lady, thankfully wasn't singing when Harry arrived in front of her portrait, he accepted the password of the week "wormtail", and Harry climbed through, only to be staring into the face of Hermione Granger.

"Where have you been?" She demanded, hauling over to an armchair where Ron sat, brow furrowed in concentration as he focused on his homework that he'd undoubtedly left until the last minute.

"Library, considering you wouldn't help me with my homework!"

"I didn't know you used emerald green ink." Hermione stated, looking closely at her friend.

Harry frowned. "I don't, I use Gryffindor red."

Ron looked up at his best mate. "You've got ink..." he indicated Harry's face. "GREEN ink."

Harry flushed and rubbed the ink with his hand. "Oh... I, uh... I need to finish this, I'll be in my room."

He heaved himself up from the sofa and started towards the boys' dormitory, a smirk on his face as he remembered how he managed to get that ink on his face.


End file.
